s.£. 


HOUSE  OF  REPRESENTATIVES,  May  27,  1364.— Postponed 
until  Monday,  in  the  morning  hour,  and  ordered  to  be  printed. 

[By  Mr.  Foote.] 


.  .  PREAMBLE  AND  RESOLUTIONS. 

1  Resolved,  That  the  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means  be  instruc- 

2  ted  to  inquire  into  the  expelieney  of  adopting  some  such  pream- 

3  ble  and  resolutions  as  the  following,   viz.  : 

1  Whereas,   the  Constitution   of  the  Confederate  States  has  en- 

2  trusted  Congress,*  in  a  very  especial   manner,   with  the  control 

t 

3  and  regulation  of  the  currency  ;   and  whereas,  it  will  be  impossi- 

4  ble  that  Congress  can   perform   this  duty  effectually  unless  the 

5  office  of  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  bo  occupied  by  some  indi- 

6  vidual  of  unquestioned  high  ability  as  a  financier,  whose  view* 

7  in   regard   to    important  matters  of  finance,  and  especially  fn 

8  regard  to  the  currency,  are  in  harmony  with  those  of  Congress. 

9  and  who  shall  be  willing,  at  all  times,  to  carry  into  prompt  and 

10  efficient  operation  the  deliberate  enactments  of  Congress  upon 

1 1  this  important  subject ;  and  whereas,  the  Secretary  of  the  Treas-  # 

12  ury,  for  the  reasons   above  suggested,  has  been  made,  by  the 

13  Constitution,  directly    responsible  to    Congress;  now,    without 

14  claiming   in  the   least  degree    a  right  to  trench  upon  the   un- 

15  doubted  prerogative  of  the  Executive  Department  in  matters  of 


2 

id  official  appointment  and  removal  from  office,  but  with  a  sincere 

17  desire  to  harmonize  with  the  President  irr  all  things  appertaining 

18  to  the  public  weal  ;  be  it 

I  Resolv&d,  That,  without  intending  to  call  in  rjuestion  the  hon- 

1  esty    or   patriotism   of  the   present   incumbent  of    the    Treasury 

3  Department,  it  is  the  deliberate  judgment  of  this  House  that  the 

i  public  welfare  does  demand  that  he  should  no  longer  be  retained 

5  in  said  Department  ;  but  that  some   other  individual,  of  proper 

6  ability  as  a  financier,  more  likely  to  be  successful  in  administer- 

7  ing  the  affairs  of  said  Department,  and  more  likely  to  command 

8  the  public  confidence,  should  be  appointed  in  his  place. 


